Iran's squad have faced waiting around for hours, limited time for physical recovery and psychological stress at the World Cup in North America, the team physiotherapist has said.
The war between Iran and the United States meant it was unclear for months if the team from the Islamic Republic would make it to the tournament.
Governing body FIFA pushed for them to be allowed into the US but they switched their training base to Mexico from Arizona and are being forced by the US to travel back to Tijuana on the same day after a game.
Paulo Alexandre Araujo has worked for top football sides but he says nothing has prepared him for the Iran job, with medical check-ups having to take place on the flight back from their tournament opener in Los Angeles on Monday against New Zealand.
The fact they drew 2-2 is a near miracle for Araujo.
"There were so many unfair things, you know," he told the New York Times late on Wednesday.
"When you get players waiting in the airport, like two, three hours, and arriving and being surrounded by guys with machine guns and all this, they are not used to it."
The border checks are a major issue even after the deal to end the conflict between the nations. The two teams could even meet in the next round in Texas.
Araujo said each player should spend about 12 minutes in an ice bath almost immediately after a game to aid recovery. But following their tournament opener, it was more like one minute due to the need to leave quickly to return to Mexico.
"It’s like throw them in, come out and take a shower, and go fast because the information was that we have to leave immediately," he said.
“Nobody cares. This is no way to treat sportsmen when you talk about fair competition."
A US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesman told the newspaper, "All 55 members of the Iranian National Football Team, including players and staff, who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, June 14, were inspected and processed into the country by CBP officers without incident.”
It added that officials must balance "robust security measures with efficient facilitation."
